Chapter 620: Divine Arts Unraveling Love

The middle of the Chen hour, the sun gradually rose high, and Ningrong Street began to become bustling, with many carriages and horses appearing on both sides of the street.

At the corner gates of the East and West Mansions, guests who heard the happy news came to congratulate one after another.

All the ways of treating guests were reminded by the inner courtyard early, and according to the past practice, it appeared orderly.

Male guests were guided by stewards to the outer courtyard hall to serve tea, while female guests did not get off the carriage, entered the inner courtyard hanging flower gate through the corner gate, and were led into the second gate by the old women and maids of the inner courtyard.

When Jia Cong inherited the Rongguo title, although noble relatives and old friends also came to congratulate, the situation of the guests visiting this time was completely different from the past.

In the past, most of the guests came to congratulate at the Rongguo Mansion, but the guests visiting the East Mansion this time were many, and the East and West Mansions were clearly separated.

The Four Kings and Eight Dukes, imperial court old friends, and family relatives who were family friends with the Jia family, because they were ancestral friends with the Rongguo Mansion, and because the Rongguo Old Lady lived in the West Mansion.

In addition, Jia Cong inherited the Rongguo title, so these people all came to congratulate at the West Mansion.

The old noble guests of each family, besides the descendants of the same generation who had interacted with Jia Cong, several family heads even came in person to congratulate.

These family heads were of the same generation as Jia Zheng. According to ordinary etiquette, sending nephews to congratulate would be enough to fulfill the noble family's friendship.

Now they came in person to congratulate, and the etiquette was very solemn. Although Jia Cong's generation was low, they were both noble family heads.

But more importantly, it was because Jia Cong was titled for his martial arts, and now his literary talent had reached the peak, and his weight and potential in the officialdom in the future could no longer be ignored.

But compared to the guests of the West Mansion, the visitors to the East Mansion, many of them had official positions that were no less than those of the West Mansion.

Jia Cong had been an official for several years. He had observed politics in the Ministry of War, worked in the Firearm Division of the Ministry of Works, judged cases in Jinling twice, and had close contacts with the Dali Temple, the Ministry of Justice, and other official offices.

There were many colleagues, close friends, and subordinates he met in these departments, and these people all came directly to the East Mansion to congratulate when they heard the happy news.

His teacher for the imperial examination, Minister of Rites Guo Youchang, Junior Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices Zheng Yan, and Minister of War Gu Yankui, who had the kindness of promotion, all sent their eldest sons to the East Mansion to congratulate, which was considered solemn etiquette.

Minister of Works Li Dekang, because he was Jia Cong's nominal immediate superior and had deep origins with Jia Zheng, also sent nephews to visit the East Mansion to congratulate.

These four were all important ministers of the imperial court, holding real power, and three of them were heads of the Six Ministries. Zheng Yan had the name of Zhuangyuan and was a leader in the literary world.

The status and status of any one of them were comparable to the heads of the Four Kings and Eight Dukes, and even surpassed them.

Jia Cong's teacher Liu Jing'an and his wife were overjoyed to hear that he made the Huiyuan in this year's metropolitan examination.

Because Liu Jing'an's several sons were all officials outside, and his eldest grandson Liu Bi was also a main official in the Ministry of War in Jinling.

Master's wife Cui had always loved Jia Cong, and to make a scene for this excellent disciple, she sent two eldest grandsons, bringing many family gifts to congratulate.

Although Liu Jing'an did not appear, with his transcendent status as a literary master and academic saint, his two eldest grandsons carrying gifts to congratulate and calling Jia Cong "Uncle Master" was a momentum no less than that of the four important ministers of the imperial court.

By noon this day, the Kangshun Prince who had been friends with Jia Cong in his youth, the Ning Prince who had the friendship of working together, and the Zhao Prince who had the encounter of friendship, all sent their Prince Mansion Chief Historians to congratulate.

This news spread, which was truly a shock to the guests of the two mansions. Although Jia Cong had a title, he was only a fifth-rank official, and he was too young.

In the eyes of outsiders, the thickness of Jia Cong's connections was limited, but he didn't expect that three princes would come to congratulate together today. This scene and decency were truly too big.

However, outsiders watch the fun, and insiders watch the doorway. Among the guests, there were also shrewd people in the officialdom, who could see some of the reasons from the clear separation of the guests of the two mansions.

The three princes were of noble status, not to mention their respective origins with Jia Cong, they sent people to congratulate not at the Rongguo Mansion, but directly into the Count's Mansion, which had its own deep meaning.

Whether it was the Kangshun Prince who lived in leisure, did not manage external affairs, and took writing books as pleasure, or the Ning Prince who worked diligently and cherished his reputation.

Or even the Zhao Prince who was originally full of literary and martial arts, had a prominent reputation, and suffered the impact of the Jinling Guard Army case.

These imperial descendants grew up in the whirlpool of power, and none of them were mediocre in talent.

They all knew deeply how the current Emperor ascended to the throne, and they also knew deeply of the irreconcilable rift between Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao and the group of old nobles, the Four Kings and Eight Dukes.

They all came to congratulate at the East Mansion, which was to prove to the world that the Jia Cong they recognized was the Lord Weiyuan Count titled by the current Emperor because of the battle of pacifying the Jurchens in Liaodong.

It was not the second-class general who inherited the Rongguo noble title, and it was also to subtly and firmly manifest that they deeply understood the Emperor's heart and stood on the side of the current Emperor.

As for literary giants like Gu Yankui, Guo Youchang, and Zheng Yan, the Jia Cong in their eyes was the literary talent and examination elite who received their promotion, esteem, and support.

Jia Cong also rose because of his literary and calligraphy, and was concerned by the Emperor back then. Because of Gu Yankui's recommendation to serve as the assistant to the governor of the nine provinces, he had the opportunity to pacify the Jurchens.

Between these civil official leaders and the hereditary military nobles like the Four Kings and Eight Dukes, there existed an innate and clearly defined rift.

What they recognized was naturally Count Lord Weiyuan Jia Cong, not the noble family descendant who was titled by the ancestors' blessing.

Although Minister of Works Li Dekang had a general friendship with Jia Cong, he had the origin of being in the Ministry of Works together. His actions were somewhat speculative, but they were also not separated from the literary official category.

Although the definition of Jia Cong's status held by civil official leaders like Guo Youchang differed slightly from the thoughts of the three Princes, in reality, they were different paths leading to the same destination.

Therefore, Jia Cong carried dual titles, but the new and old forces carried by the two titles were separated and clearly separated, all gathering in his body. The first monster of the Great Zhou imperial court was none other than him.

On this day, because guests were divided into the East and West Mansions to congratulate, many of whom had identities that Jia Cong had to receive in person.

This made him run around all day between the Rongxi Hall of the West Mansion and the Xuanfu Hall of the East Mansion, and he didn't even have time to drink a few sips of tea. The hardship was no less than fighting in Liaodong back then.

Among these guests, only one person appeared different, and that was the nephew of Jia Mu's family, the minister who followed the Emperor, Marquis Zhongjing Shi Ding.

He brought his wife and eldest son to congratulate in person this time, and the etiquette was very thorough. His esteem and friendship for this nephew generation were overflowing.

He was the confidant of Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao, and he knew better than anyone that the Emperor had an unusual esteem for this young minister.

He brought his wife and eldest son to enter the Rongguo Mansion first, first visited his own direct aunt, and had a pleasant conversation with Jia Cong in Rongxi Hall while serving tea.

At the flowing banquet at noon, Marquis Zhongjing also sat together with the guests of the noble families according to the etiquette of the noble family.

After saying a few polite words and drinking three cups of water wine, he left the banquet and went to the East Mansion to visit his niece Shi Xiangyun.

As an elder close to Jia Cong by blood, he naturally had to accompany him into the East Mansion.

Marquis Zhongjing took Jia Cong and Shi Xiangyun to wander and chat in Huifang Garden for a while, and finally left the Jia family with his wife and eldest son from the Count's Mansion.

Although he belonged to the Four Kings and Eight Dukes by origin, his behavior in this visit was impartial, without any flaws, and left no handle, which was quite remarkable.

In the inner courtyard of the Rongguo Mansion, female relatives of noble families were rarely absent. The Xu family of Cheng Yang Marquis, the Zhang family of Jingyang Marquis, the Zou family of Zhongcheng Count, and the Liu family of the eldest branch of Zhiguo Duke all visited with the male guests of each family.

In Rongqing Hall, the hall was full of noble wives, hairpins shining, brocade clothes and clouds, full of wealth, and Jia Mu also heard full ears of flattery and praise.

At this time, the noble wife who came to visit Jia Mu later, because she heard the rumors of the guests coming and going, said to Jia Mu with envy that the East Mansion was full of noble guests, even more lively than the West Mansion.

Jia Mu had been a super-grade wife for a lifetime and had seen many grand scenes. Hearing that three princes and three heads of the Six Ministries came to congratulate the East Mansion, she was also inexplicably shocked.

She had been a noble wife for a lifetime and was also a person who understood the world. At this time, she became clearer and clearer.

Her grandson, who had not been favored since childhood, although he inherited the Rongguo title, the connections and reputation he had gathered himself seemed to be not much different from the thick accumulation of the Rongguo Mansion...

Originally, Jia Mu was still sighing that Jia Cong was outstanding in everything, and her beloved Baoyu was too disparate in comparison, and the situation would be difficult in the future.

Now even this thought slowly faded. Although Jia Mu still loved Baoyu the most, she knew clearly that the two grandsons could not be mentioned in the same breath, and it was useless for her to worry.

By sunset this day, Jia Cong was still entertaining guests in Rongxi Hall when Yingchun's maid Xiu Ju came to report that someone from the Imperial Mausoleum in the east of the city had come to congratulate and send gifts.

Jia Cong felt a move in his heart and followed Xiu Ju back to the East Mansion. When he arrived at Conglü Hall, he saw Yingchun sitting there, and a beautiful little maid was standing there reporting to Yingchun.

There was also a rough old woman in the hall, holding a gift box in her hand, which didn't look like it was from the East Mansion.

Jia Cong knew Yingchun's mind. Because Zhen Fangqing once had a marriage promise with him, if it weren't for Jia She's sudden death, the two would have almost become husband and wife.

Although it was difficult for the two to become a marriage, after all, the origin was special, so Yingchun was busy entertaining guests today, but she specifically came to see this little girl, which was to fulfill the etiquette for herself.

That little maid was very clever. Seeing Jia Cong enter the hall, she gave a bow to Jia Cong.

Jia Cong saw that she looked very familiar and laughed: "You are Zhen Third Young Lady's maid. I remember your name is Bei'er."

That little maid had a smile on her face, quite beautiful and cute, and said: "Count has a good memory, still remembering my little maid. I have seen Count in Jinling and the Love Shenjing.

Our young lady is under the imperial decree and is not convenient to leave the important place of the Imperial Mausoleum. The young lady knew that the metropolitan examination list was opened yesterday, and sent servants to watch the list early, knowing that Count made the first place Huiyuan, and was very happy in her heart.

Today she let me bring a congratulatory gift to congratulate Count. In fact, this congratulatory gift was prepared by the young lady some time ago, because the young lady said that Count was bound to pass."

Yingchun saw that Bei'er was young, clever, and clear in speech, and managed things in an orderly manner, and couldn't help but praise with a smile: "Truly a clever girl."

Bei'er took the gift box from the old woman's hand and opened it gently. Yingchun saw the congratulatory gift inside and a smile appeared on her face.

Jia Cong saw a light blue dark-patterned tribute satin round-collared long robe in the gift box, the craftsmanship was very fine, a fat jade inlaid belt, a hair-tying jade hairpin, and a pair of black-faced rolled-head climbing cloud boots. These gifts were not particularly expensive or novel, but they revealed a trace of unusual simplicity and intimacy, which moved people even more.

Jia Cong smiled and said: "Go back and thank Third Young Lady for me. These gifts are very much to my heart. I will definitely visit the Imperial Mausoleum another day."

At this time, Xiu Ju entered Conglü Hall again, also holding a gift box in her hand. Yingchun smiled at Bei'er: "These things are commonly used in the mansion. You take them to your young lady."

Bei'er took the gift and thanked her, then left with the accompanying old woman. Yingchun let Xiu Ju send her out of the mansion gate on her behalf.

Bei'er walked a few steps out of the hall and looked back at Jia Cong again, appearing to have something to say.

Jia Cong had a good impression of this clever maid, walked up a few steps with a smile, and asked: "Does your young lady have anything else to say?"

Bei'er said: "The things the young lady instructed, I have handled them properly, and she has no other words to instruct.

It's just that there are some words, it's not my turn as a slave maid to talk too much, the young lady will definitely scold me if she knows, I don't know..."

Jia Cong felt a move in his heart, took her to walk a few steps away on the veranda, away from the accompanying old woman, and laughed: "If you have something to say, just say it, don't worry, others can't hear it now."

Bei'er saw Jia Cong's words were gentle, his handsome smile in the sun was very bright and good-looking, which would make people willing to tell him everything. Her little face turned slightly red.

She couldn't help but blurt out: "The marriage between the young lady and Count didn't happen. In fact, she felt sad in her heart, although she never said it, but I can see it.

!

Last time Count sent a letter to the young lady, the young lady has been thinking about Count's goodness.

This time Count had great mourning, originally couldn't take the spring examination, it was the young lady who went to the palace to beg for grace from the Retired Emperor..."

Bei'er saw Jia Cong's expression was stunned when he heard this, and she couldn't help but panic.

She hurriedly said: "I know I shouldn't talk too much, Count must not say that I said it.

Next month the young lady will finish the mourning period, and she will return to her hometown in Jinling immediately. It will be difficult to see Count in the future, Count don't forget the young lady's heart..."

Bei'er also felt that her words were too messy, and she closed her mouth helplessly, gave a bow to Jia Cong, and turned to leave in a hurry.

Jia Cong stood alone on the veranda for a long time before returning to the West Mansion to entertain guests...

Following the continuous spread of the news of Jia Cong making the Huiyuan, the two mansions were full of guests for several days. Fortunately, the most important and precious guests basically arrived on the first day.

In the following days, although guests visited one after another, they were all ordinary relatives and old friends, some of whom Jia Cong had never met, and dealing with them was not as hard as the first two days.

After the guests of the two mansions gradually decreased, Jia Cong went to worship the teacher's grace at Luocang Mountain, and the next day, according to the rules of the examination field, he visited the three chief examiners of the metropolitan examination one after another.

After that, the two mansions gradually calmed down from the trend of clouds of guests, and restored their past tranquility.

Jia Cong sent Zhi Shao and Xing Xiuyan to Mouni Nunnery, and he also started to go back and forth to the firearm workshop every day.

Because the workshop sent news that the craftsmen had explored the forging technique of the rear-loading gun firing pin and had made relevant progress...

After Zhi Shao and Xing Xiuyan returned from Mouni Nunnery, the Ministry of Rites began to issue edicts to the Gongshi who made the list, and the tenth day of next month was the time for the Emperor's palace examination.

This news spread, and the more than three hundred Gongshi who made the list in the Love Shenjing were all full of ambition, which also made the thousands of failed scholars who had not yet left

The Great Zhou palace examination followed the precedents of the previous dynasty, and there was no such thing as failing.

All the tribute scholars participating in the palace examination were eventually ranked into the first, second, or third tier based on the evaluation of their palace examination essays.

For all the scholars who passed the metropolitan examination, their years of studying to seek fame and rank finally came to a perfect conclusion here.

According to the Great Zhou imperial examination regulations, even those who achieved the status of "presented scholar" in the third tier would be granted the position of County Magistrate by the Ministry of Personnel; although the rank was not high, it was still the position of a dignified chief official of a county.

On the outskirts of the Love Shenjing, Muni Nunnery.

In the main hall of the nunnery, incense smoke curled thinly; the standing statue of Guanyin Bodhisattva had flowing robes, looking serene, gentle, and lifelike, with a pair of Buddha eyes slightly closed, seemingly watching all living beings with boundless compassion.

Sister Miao Yu wore a Miaochang bun, a moon-white plain-sleeved jacket, a long vest with blue satin trim over a water-field pattern, tied with an autumn-fragrance colored silk sash, and a white silk skirt painted with light ink tied below her waist.

She knelt before the Guanyin statue, her expression unusually devout, and took a piece of yellow paper from her sleeve, on which was written Jia Cong's birth date and time.

This was brought to her specifically by Zhi Shao that day when she went to the nunnery to visit Abbess Xiushan, because she had received Sister Miao Yu's instructions beforehand.

Sister Miao Yu looked at the birth date and time on the yellow paper, her gaze flickering slightly, and she took a peach-wood prayer token from the silk sash at her slender waist.

Taking a fine purple-tipped brush, she wrote Jia Cong's name and birth date and time neatly and meticulously on the peach-wood token in exquisite small regular script.

Then, she offered the token on the altar beneath the Guanyin statue, formed a mudra with her left hand, tapped a wooden fish with her right, closed her bright eyes slightly, and silently recited scriptures and prayed for blessings for Jia Cong while facing the peach-wood token.

In the tranquil Buddha hall, the clear, steady sound of the wooden fish continued back and forth, ethereal and profound, blending with Sister Miao Yu's murmuring, melodious chanting, revealing an unusual solemnity and piety.

Amidst the lingering incense smoke, Sister Miao Yu's beautiful, flawless face seemed to be shrouded in a layer of divine light, as if she were vaguely merging with the standing Bodhisattva statue.

The serene and devout prayer continued for an unknown length of time, until Sister Miao Yu recovered her senses from meditation and noticed someone beside her.

It was unknown when Abbess Xiushan had already stood beside her, her eyes containing restrained divine light, looking at her with a kind expression.

Sister Miao Yu's face felt slightly hot, and she said, "Master, every time Jing Hui returns, when I sit and talk with her on the same bed, she is always in high spirits, with joy in her brows and eyes.

When we parted at Panxiang Temple that day, Jia Cong once said that he would treat Jing Hui like a pearl or treasure, and he has indeed done so.

He is not only Jing Hui's good fortune, but he has also invited famous physicians several times to diagnose and treat Master; I dare not forget this kindness, and I am currently praying for his blessings."

Abbess Xiushan looked at the peach-wood token on the incense altar, her expression thoughtful, and said, "Back then at Panxiang Temple, I once told you.

Everyone has their own destiny; the green lamp and ancient Buddha are destiny, and deep gratitude and loyalty are also destiny. If it is in your fate, do not refuse or abandon it; accepting one's fate from Heaven is great virtue."

After Abbess Xiushan finished saying this, she pressed her palms together slightly towards the peach-wood token and muttered words.

Sister Miao Yu turned Abbess Xiushan's words over in her heart, her thoughts winding, unable to control herself for a moment...

After a long while, she said, "That day, Master once said that ever since Jia Cong inherited the dual titles, a 'yang' baleful energy has emerged in his physiognomy, and variables have vaguely appeared in his life's trajectory.

Master said he is exceptionally talented, different from ordinary people, achieving success at a young age, and shining among his peers.

At the age of twenty, he holds glorious official titles, his life force is scorching, and his position is heavy.

Once such a person's fate becomes blurred and his character unpredictable, it is extremely easy for today's victory to turn into tomorrow's defeat, for good fortune to collapse, for disasters to intertwine, and for great luck to turn into great misfortune!

Now that he is Jing Hui's lifelong partner, the disciple is worried that he will encounter a calamity, and since Jing Hui follows him in life and death, she will inevitably be implicated.

Master also said that the birth date and time of his father, Jia She, are quite incompatible with his, and the father and son's fates clash, containing unpredictable dangers.

Therefore, the disciple..."

Seeing that Master's eyes were clear and bright, moist and transparent, with divine light as if illuminating, and although she was looking at her gently, it was as if she could see through a person, Sister Miao Yu could not help but feel panic in her heart...

Abbess Xiushan sighed, "So you want to know his future fortune, which is why you borrowed the spirit token for chanting and praying for him, and had Jing Hui bring his birth date and time."

A blush appeared on Sister Miao Yu's pretty face, but her gaze was unusually steady as she said, "Please grant this, Master."

Abbess Xiushan sighed, "Although Yuzhang has quite a bit of shrewdness and does not stick to minor details in his actions, his character is upright, his quality is not vulgar, and he has shown kindness to you and me, his master and disciple; I also do not want anything to happen to him."

As she spoke, she took a slip of paper from her sleeve and said, "The day before yesterday, I had Jing Xuan go to the Jia family ancestral cemetery and found his birth date and time on Jia She's tombstone.

It is just that I have never met Jia She and do not know his temperament or bone structure, but I can calculate some things to some extent."

As Abbess Xiushan spoke, she sat down on the cushion beside Sister Miao Yu and took out a tortoise shell, divination coins, and counting rods from her sleeve, laying them out one by one.

Based on the birth dates and times of Jia She and Jia Cong, she performed divination to raise the spirit, her right hand constantly pinching her fingers to calculate, and her left hand arranging counting rods on the ground, using the secret ancestral innate divine numbers to calculate Jia Cong's fate.

The Buddha hall was quiet, time passed silently, and it was unknown how much time had passed.

Sister Miao Yu had seen Master perform number techniques in the past, and they were always very quick and convenient, but today it took a lot of time, and she still hadn't stopped calculating.

Moreover, Abbess Xiushan was frowning in deep thought, her right hand constantly pinching her fingers to calculate, her face turning somewhat pale, and a layer of fine sweat even appearing on her forehead.

Sister Miao Yu felt a vague sense of unease in her heart...

Suddenly, Abbess Xiushan's left hand trembled slightly, and the gray-black, oily-bright counting rod in her hand dropped to the ground with a 'clack', appearing unusually harsh in the tranquil Buddha hall.

Several violent coughs rang out in the Buddha hall, and Abbess Xiushan covered her mouth and nose with her sleeve, only then stopping the coughing.

However, when she lowered her sleeve, Sister Miao Yu's face turned pale, because there were bright red bloodstains on Master's sleeve... (End of chapter)